Question NW31 to the Minister of Higher Education and Training
26 February 2018 - NW31
Van der Westhuizen, Mr AP to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
(1)With reference to the irregular expenditure regarding an events company as per an audit finding in the 2016-17 financial year, (a) what (i) are the details of the events for which the company was appointed and (ii) is the company’s name, (b) who is the company’s (i) director and/or (ii) owner and (c) why was (i) there urgency in finding an events manager and (ii) the event not planned long in advance; (2) What (a) number of persons attended the events and (b) was the break-down of the costs incurred in respect of each event?
Reply:
1. (a) (i) The service provider was appointed to manage events including conferences, workshops, seminars, official meetings, etc. on behalf of the Department of Higher Education and Training.
(ii) Batsumi Travel (Pty) Ltd.
(b) Ms Lisa Sebogodi (Owner and Director)
(c) (i) One of the major events, which the Department participates annually, is the Mandela-Day Career Festival. Initially the Department was going to share the management responsibilities with other partakers and would thus not be mainly responsible for the procurement. This however changed with the nearing of the event. In order for the Department to be mainly responsible for the procurement, a bid process had to be followed to secure service providers to arrange and manage the event. Therefore, the urgent appointment of an events management company was of essence, which led to the shortened period for advertising.
(ii) The Department compiled a list of planned events, though it was not conclusive and all-inclusive.
2. Annexure A provides a list of all events to date that were arranged by the events management company with the number of participants and cost for hosting each event.
ANNEXURE A
Name of Event |
No. of Attendees |
Cost of the Event (R) |
Mpumalanga Region Moderation of Adult Basic Education and Training |
37 |
242 406.00 |
National Artisan Development Strategic Workshop |
20 |
47 908.80 |
Technical and Vocational Education and Training Branch Strategic Planning Workshop |
23 |
23 376.95 |
Technical and Vocational Education Training Colleges Technical Strategic Plan Workshop |
130 |
62 161.56 |
Task Team Meeting in Mpumalanga Gert Sibande District |
17 |
6 462.72 |
Community Education and Training Colleges Task Team Meeting |
13 |
9 153.00 |
Ministerial Committees Consultative Meeting |
12 |
8 478.00 |
Teaching and Learning Support Material Refinement Workshop |
18 |
20 023.20 |
Director-General’s meeting with Stakeholders |
25 |
16 565.80 |
National Artisan Development Provincial Roadshow |
150 |
124 740.00 |
National Artisan Development Provincial Roadshow |
100 |
72 715.32 |
Departmental Strategic Planning Workshop |
102 |
329 259.38 |
Strategic co-ordination meeting |
46 |
47 260.80 |
Minister’s meeting with National Education Health and Allied Workers Union and South African Students Congress – Eastern Cape |
25 |
1 944.00 |
Meeting with Universities South Africa (USAf) |
60 |
2 030.40 |
Underperforming Learning Areas Workshop |
150 |
33 725.70 |
Minister’s meeting with multi stakeholders |
20 |
459 982.80 |
Meeting with Student Representative Councils |
40 |
22 788.00 |
University Capacity Development Grant Workshop |
60 |
8 640.00 |
Skills Conference Task Team with Skills Education Training Authorities |
30 |
27 828.36 |
Minister’s meeting at the Airport |
4 |
24 683.00 |
Minister’s meeting with Stakeholders |
8 |
5 054.40 |
Minister’s meeting with Stakeholders |
4 |
2 160.00 |
Performance Management and Development Systems 2015/16 |
100 |
145 800.00 |
Meeting for Mediating Draft Community Education and Training Staffing Norms |
35 |
32 292.00 |
Task Team meeting in Gert Sibande, Mpumalanga |
10 |
6 782.40 |
Primary Teacher Education (PrimTED) Project Workshop |
30 |
16 327.44 |
Ministerial Meeting with Multi-Stakeholders |
180 |
194 213.16 |
Minister’s meeting with Director-General |
4 |
6 048.00 |
Curriculum and Assessment Planning Meeting |
22 |
46 368.83 |
Minister’s meeting with Auditor-General |
15 |
14 407.20 |
Minister’s meeting with the China Ambassador |
8 |
6 681.96 |
Mpumalanga Region Setting of 2016 Adult Education and Training Level 3 |
30 |
226 303.74 |
Study Group for the Minister |
12 |
2 721.60 |
Ministerial Meeting with National Education Health and Allied Workers Union Leadership |
8 |
3 348.00 |
Minister’s meeting with Stakeholders |
5 |
5 724.00 |
Meeting with Registrars of KwaZulu-Natal and Chief Executive Officers and Chief Accounting Officers |
20 |
7 236.00 |
Strategic Workshop in North West Region |
23 |
39 365.14 |
Planning Workshop for 2017 |
33 |
143 470.44 |
Ministers Meeting with Advisors |
15 |
13 257.00 |
Strategic Coordination Meeting with Community Education and Training Principals |
40 |
82 243.61 |
Minister’s meeting with the Director-General |
2 |
1 080.00 |
Briefing meeting on Pan African University Memo |
10 |
6 921.72 |
Community Education and Training Mpumalanga Consultative meeting |
33 |
14 202.00 |
Minister’s Meeting in Pietermaritzburg |
4 |
2 160.00 |
Minister’s meeting with Student Representative Councils Leadership in Secunda |
36 |
15 360.84 |
Minister’s meeting South African Students Congress Leadership |
12 |
9 763.20 |
National Skills Authority Workshop and Board Meeting Provincial Skills Development Forum |
40 |
63 599.36 |
Ministerial Meeting with Minister of Transport |
15 |
9 223.20 |
Technical and Vocational Education and Training and Skills Education Training Authorities Forum Meeting |
50 |
93 744.00 |
Minister Meeting with Pan Africanist Student Movement Association |
15 |
9 572.04 |
Waterberg Career Exhibition 2016 Event |
2 130 |
298 512.00 |
Minister meeting with Community Education and Training Colleges Task Team on Flexible Manufacturing System |
37 |
23 279.40 |
Student Housing Symposium |
200 |
37 674.72 |
Minister’s meeting with Technical and Vocational Education and Training Governor Council |
40 |
27 466.56 |
Higher Education Parents Dialogue Conference |
50 |
110 808.00 |
Working session on refinement of curriculum statements for African Languages for National Senior Certificate for Adults and General Education and Training Certificate for Adults |
50 |
50 000.00 |
Ministerial Briefing: Preparatory meeting on upcoming multi-stakeholder meeting |
20 |
4 536.00 |
Total |
4 878 |
3 369 841.75 |
COMPILER DETAILS
NAME AND SURNAME: MR THEUNS TREDOUX
CONTACT: 012 312 5896
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Minister signs Parliamentary Question 31.
MR GF QONDE
DIRECTOR–GENERAL: HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
DATE:
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION 31 IS APPROVED / NOT APPROVED / AMENDED.
COMMENT/S
PROF HB MKHIZE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
DATE: